Archive for narl

This is the last part of Chapter Six. I’ll condense it next week when Chapter Seven starts. Also, the Character Profiles and Art pages have been updated.. Thanks for reading everybody!
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“Well, what should we do until then?” Kizo pondered.
Narl paused for a second, eyes focused but on nothing in particular. “Everybody needs to get back into the Strikers. A missing Floofnay will get the attention of the city.” Anaxandrea, Xof, and Kishi nodded and obediently dashed back to their ships. Chambo and Kizo stayed behind.
“If they decide to take the offense, we have no chance.” Chambo blurted out quickly. “We have to hope they keep up the isolation…”
“Even if they don’t take the offense, we won’t be able to be isolated for very long. We’ll need more supplies,” Narl replied, turning to look the black mrow in the eyes.
Kizo stretched his chest forward, his spine rolling in the smooth motion as he gestured with his arm. “Then what are we going to do? We have two ships with ground rifles on them. They’d hardly need to send more than one real battle unit and we’re all gone.”
“We’re going to have to hope they don’t attack the port directly, at the very least,” said Narl.
“Hope isn’t going to get us very far,” Kizo hissed dryly. Chambo put his thick hand on the gray one’s shoulder. Kizo turned, seeing that he was giving him a harsh face. Chambo agreed with the point Kizo made… but this was a reminder to be more respectful. Respect, or rather, nervousness around superiors, had been well taught to them before.
Narl looked down, twitching his ears back and forth as he thought. His lips mouthed words, but he said nothing and looked at nobody. “We need more supplies…more mrows…” He looked up and spoke more surely. “Right now we’re weak. We’re going to need a stronger force and more space to work with if we’re to win this.”
The words struck the others with paralyzation for a few moments. Despite all the great changes that had happened during such a short time, life felt like just a fleeting fight for survival as it had always been. To win this? They’re lives were no longer a reaction, but action. This…whatever ‘this’ was… wasn’t just them, but for many others…all the mrows.
The thoughts flew quickly threw the heads of everybody there, although nobody really thought the words themselves, but the feeling.
Kizo spoke out. “But where are we going to get that? We can’t take Vantessa, not now. Anywhere else would require us to go over Vantessa, too. We’re locked down here.”
Narl replied quicker than Kizo expected. “No… we can’t go to Vantessa. We’ll have to reach somewhere with free flight space.”
“Didn’t you hear me? There isn’t any place around here with free space. It’s all guarded…probably even more now!” Kizo exclaimed.
“Fums. There’s barely a ship near it ever,” Narl snapped.
“Fums?” Chambo repeated. “The prison…?”
Kizo laughed. “Yeah, why don’t we just admit defeat now and fly our selves straight to prison. Skip the middle step.”
“No,” Narl spoke firmly. “The mrows there will be more than willing to fight.”
Chambo rubbed his arm nervously. “Willing, yes, but I don’t know if any Fums cast-offs will have any strength to do so.”
“We’ll feed them…” He mused. “I hear rumours, too, that Fums is littered with reckage of ships that were raided and destroyed by the cast-offs. Maybe some of it is savagable for us?”
“We barely have enough food as it is,” said Kizo weakly.
Chambo nodded. “That’s true… but I think it’s our only option at the moment. It can’t hurt to have more bodies.”
Kizo grumbled. There weren’t many choices available to them… it was a desperate plan, indeed.
“Tommorow. We’ll take some of this food here and fly to Fums, and bring back some recruits,” Narl commanded. “Hopefully the flight space between here and that wretched rock isn’t patrolled at all. We’ll be able to make multiple trips.”
“I can’t imagine the Gowaks would waste much time with Fums…it’s point is complete isolation, anyways.” Chambo affirmed the statement.
“We need to tell the others…” Narl mused, already beginning to walk briskly back to the port. “Then we’ll scavange the Floofnay.”

The Strikers followed the command, pulling back behind the falling Floofnay. The damaged ship accelerated as it grew closer and closer to the planet. Flickering lights and sparks became flame as it dropped into the atmosphere.
“There’s not going to be anything left of it by the time it lands!” Kishi cried.
“The hold is made to extremely resistant to all outer force,” Narl replied quickly. “Let’s just hope it holds up.”
From the look of it, the Floofnay already looked destroyed. The front was nothing but ruin, pieces of shrapnel built to be on the inside flew behind it. The outside of the cargo hold shone with heat.
Narl turned his head toward Kizo. He gaped his mouth open wide, but forgot his companion’s name. In lack of time to think, Narl pushed against Kizo’s shoulders. “Go! Tell everybody to get to the far side of the port. We don’t know how big a wreck it will make.”
Kizo instinctively whipped out his paw, almost about to smack Narl in retaliation for the shove, but stopped himself. He nodded firmly and dashed out. Narl looked back onto the communicator. “Where are you?”
“We’re coming in fast,” Xof replied. “I can see ground… the Floofnay is ahead of us.”
“It’s still speeding up,” called out Anax.
Almost instantaneously, the huge space craft had hit the ground. The resulting crash of metal on ground and clambering of the ship crunching into itself was monstrous. The floor throughout the Ship Port rumbled and shook. Many of the mrows dropped to their knees, clamping their hands over their ears in pain. Even after landing, the Floofnay continued to crackle as the flames from re-entry burned out against the dirt and sand.
Anaxandrea and Kishi leveled their Strikers, pulling around to the opposite side of the port to land. None of the four mrows on the inside of those ships took time to reflect on their successful landings, jumping out and running toward the crashed cargo hold.
Narl was already there, panting. He knew when Xof, Anaxandrea, Kishi and Chambo where behind him without even turning around. Extending his arm outward to block the path, he said “We have to wait for it to cool off.”
Xof pulled her arms in close to her chest. Her eyes were wearily scanning the crackling monolith. “Do you think anything is going to survive through that?”
He paused for a second. His back raised and fell with his breathing chest. “I…” Narl stumbled on his word. “I think… something will. Something has had to survive it.”
“Let’s hope it’s something edible.”
Kizo’s footsteps pounded against the packed dirt and sand. He ran out of the Ship Port. “Nobody got hurt, other than maybe some minor bruises for the shock!”
“Good,” Narl looked back at Kizo , and then turned around to observe more.
“How long do you think until we can go check it?” Kizo asked. He scratched his ear with his hand.
“Not for at least an hour, to be safe,” said Narl.
Chambo smiled and chuckled quietly to himself. It wasn’t a very common occurrence for the gangly white mrow to think “safely”.

—
As a fun fact, the Floofnay was named by my friend a long time ago. I was drawing basic designs of various Meribellian Ships. She pointed at the one I had labeled “Space 18-Wheeler” and said it was cute and looked like a ‘Floofnay.’ I asked her what that meant, and she said she didn’t know but it seemd like one. So, thus, it became a Floofnay.

A light pink glow had appeared in the dark void. It grew brighter and larger, soon revealing a large ship heading toward the two, stray Strikers.
“What is that thing?” Xof asked quickly.
“According to our reads, it’s a Floofnay.” Narl replied.
Chambo confirmed it. “Visually, it’s defiantly a Floofnay.” They were both very used to the enormous, rounded ships. The Floofnay was the most popular model for cargo-ships, and the most common ship to see when the Port was still in function. All the slaves there had seen them day in and day out.
There was a soft hum over the communicator. As the Floofnay grew closer, it’s connections linked with the Striker’s. “Unidentified pilots!” A stern Gowak voice called. “Please clear the way.”
The mrows in the ships looked around nervously. Anax lowered herself out of the way compliantly. Kishi, seeing this, followed her. The Floofnay could move through now.
“Idenitify yourself.” The Gowak repeated.
Chambo clenched his throat with his hand, clenching his throat to deepen his voice to the more reptilian sound. “This Port is under blockade. You cannot land here.” He was in a cold sweat.
Luckily, the large cargo pilot believed the bluff. “I know that… this food is going straight to Vantessa.” But before Chambo could sigh from relief, a thought came over him. The same thought came over all the mrows, ship-bound and on the ground. Food. The rebels were in desperate need of it… The former-slaves were used to low rations, but their supply was dwindling and near empty. They needed this shipment.
Narl broke the silence. He roared over the communicator, “Shoot the front! Try to keep the cargo and the bottom intact!”
The Floofnay could hear him too, of course. “What in the hell? Shoot? Who the hell is that? Identif-“
Anax lifted her Striker back up, almost swinging it forward through space. Xof pushed down the small wire on the floor. The wire connected and completed the circuit for the gun- and fired.
The Floofnay took a direct hit right above the cabin.
“Kirf!” The gowak yelled.
Kishi and Chambo fired from the other side. The two ships kept a steady stream of energy on the huge ship.
“Maday! Maday!” Cries of distressed filled the communicators. The Floofnay began to turn, but it was a slow ship. The turn took dreadfully too long for the pilot. The cries stopped suddenly with a large crack. The communicator, and the cabin, of the Floofnay had been all but torn from the cargo hold. The engine began to flicker, sparks of energy flying out from the hole.
“Get behind it! Avoid the wreckage!” Narl hissed.

Anax took a deep breath, letting her body sink into the chair. When she leaned forward, it was with great determination and strength. She grabbed the Steering Stick with both hands. The Striker didn’t lunge forward, but slid smoothly into motion.
When Xof, and even Kishi, had flown the ships, they were fully aware that they were controlling an outside mechanism artificially. They gave the machine commands through the stick. Anaxandrea felt different. In the moment she put her hands on the controls, the ship became her. She felt as if her presence and energy now encompassed all of the metallic shell. Her eyesight changed. She could see out the window, into the black space, her peripheral vision sharpening. And, somehow, at the same time, everything blurred. Only the space was clear.
Anaxandrea was hardly conscience of her voice as she spoke orders to Xof. “Ascend.” “Descend.” She was tacit, calm, and precise. She maneuvered the Striker with ease, rotating the ship as if it was her palm.
The other mrows observed in silence and awe. Xof was the most stricken with Anaxandrea’s prowess. She was tempted to just stare at her orange face instead of the controls she was responsible for. “I…” Xof gathered her tongue. “I think you should always be the one to pilot,” She said.
“Defininatly!” Kizo added over the communicator. “That’s beautiful flying…! Have you done this before?” He leaned forward as he spoke.
“No,” Anax said in her normally reserved voice. “I use to drive some ‘Woks… back there, but never a ship. But I like driving. I would like to be pilot.”
Xof laughed humbly. Her shoulders shook so that the drooping tentacles from her head bounced. “That’s perfectly fine with me, captain!”
Kizo agreed again, and turned to look at Narl. Even he seemed to be smiling a bit.
“Look sharp!” Kishi suddenly hissed, the harsh tone magnified over the electronic system.

I’m back. For those of you who read this and don’t watch me on DeviantART (my username is lucheek there, too), my sister and I have made a deal to motivate eachother to do more writing. We are ‘exchaning’ at least 600 words every Sunday. Since we live together, it’ll be easier for us to bother the other in the case of missed updates. So, Meribellian Chronicles is back alive again. Expect updates of at least 600 words every Sunday now!

I kind of feel bad since this is still a pretty uneventful update and you all waited so long for it, but I promise stuff is going to happen soon. Like… real stuff. Continue reading →

In which I am trying to build tension and resisting Star Fox jokes.
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“We’re stabilized.” Kishi reported quickly.
Kizo scanned his eyes across the large screen in front of him before calling back, “The ships are registered properly. We’ve got your coordinates.” He could feel his heart in his throat, remembering the last flight. He wasn’t scared though. He felt excited and, strangly, full. Full of some kind of purpose, Kizo wasn’t quite sure.
Narl interrupted his thoughts with his commanding voice. “Try maneuvering.”
“We should probably go one at a time,” Xof added. “Let’s avoid crashing.”
“Of course,” said Chambo.
Kishi replied quickly, “I’ll go first.” She flexed her fingers, still wrapped around the control. She pushed forward firmly, but slowly. The Striker coasted forward. Kishi’s eyes were sharp slits, blind to anything besides the dark space they focused on. She rolled her shoulders to the left, gently moving the Steering stick. The Ship turned.
“Well,” Kizo coughed over the transmitter. “Looks like you’re all set for piloting the relaxing sight-seeing tour of space. Now why don’t you try going faster than a flat rock on the floor?”
“Have you ever flown a spaceship?” She hissed back, without giving Kizo any real time to reply. “No. Neither have I. This doesn’t come with a guide. We can learn now or jump right in like idiots and get ourselves killed.”
“Get everybody killed.” Narl turned to Kizo disapprovingly. “The Gowaks are killing us, we don’t need to kill us too.” The grey mrow turned his head down, embarrassed.
Kishi continued to steer the Striker in silence. She snaked the ship back and forth, testing turning at different angles and speeds. “Chambo,” She said, not turning her eyes away from the window. The black Mrow perked his ears and moved up closer to her. “I’m going to try to do a dive.”
The controls to the altitude and orientation of the Striker were with the other buttons and switches wrapped around the base of the window. A Gowak could reach them from the chair, one arm on the steering stick and another on the panels. A mrow, however, could not. This is why there were two to each ship. Chambo nodded with a affirmative grunt. He crouched down in front of the controls, orienting his hands over the buttons and turning his head away to see out the window.
“Now.” Kishi commanded. She leaned forward on the Steering stick as the Striker began moving forward. Chambo pressed a button, keeping it steadily depressed. The ship turned, curving downward. As the Striker moved now, the more it curved around. “Release.” Kishi directed. He let go of the button. The curving stopped, the ship moving down straight now. At least, appeared to be moving down straight from the perspective of Xof and Anax, who watched with wide eyes. The gravity had shifted for Kishi and Chambo, who moved forward consistently.
“Going to try ascending.” The striped pilot said. Narl acknowledged her from over the radio. “Ascend now.” Kishi added. Chambo depressed the other button. Kishi pushed forward on the Steering Stick, and the Striker rotated upward. She oriented herself with the other hovering ship. “Release.”
“Can you turn and descend at the same time?” Kizo asked.
“I believe.” Kishi replied. She directed Chambo, “Descend now.” She curved the Striker to the left as it moved. They moved in a soft spiral through space. “Release.” The spiral flattened, the Striker oriented on a flat plane now.

Chapter VI: Practice
Kizo pulled back his face, twisting around to look at Chambo. “Yah, I don’t see anything either.” He turned around now. “I think we’re clear for flight.”
Narl’s eyes shifted around with his weight. “Alright.” He signaled Chambo with his hand. The stub-tailed mrow leaped down and over to the open door of the striker. Kishi helped to pull him inside. Kizo and Narl walked inside the building to the communications area. He pushed a button. “Audio check.”
Kishi replied first, voice sharp as ever. “We can hear you.”
Xof was second. “You’re good.” She looked over the back of the chair. Anaxandrea sat on the floor of the Striker, her legs crossed over. Her mouth was shut loosly and off. “You feeling alright, Anax?” Xof called back. She was trying to keep her voice steady.
“I’m ready.” Anax replied in the same tone, trying to cover any uneasiness. She put her hands behind her for balance.
Kishi came back over the speakers. “Can we lift-off?”
“Yes.” Kizo replied. “Flight in 3…2…1.”
The egg-shaped ship lowered it’s wings. It rolled forward, slowly at fist but gaining speed expontentially. The tip tilted up ward and it rose into the sky with a red glowing tail of energy. Xof and Anaxandrea watched from the open window as the Striker became a smudge in the sky.
“Alright…we’re flying.” Kishi’s voice sounded a little bit releived.
Kizo spoke to the orange-tipped female now. “Are you ready?”
Xof nodded a single time at Anax, who immediately repeated the gesture, and turned to be closer to the speaker. “We’re ready.’’
“Okay. Flight in 3…2…1.”
She gripped the steering stick firmly so she could feel it against all her fingers. Xof leaned forward and pulled up. The engine rumbled as it lifted into sky. Xof’s flight was not as steady as Kishi’s. The Striker quivered, rocking back and forth in its accent, before she was able to find the right balance. Anaxandrea was pushed against the backwall, her horns tapping against the metal as the entire ship bobbled. They made it.